Jo Sidhu QC

Barrister

Instructed in serious criminal cases including fraud, homicide, terrorism, drugs, armed robbery, extradition, and in cases involving human rights issues.

Superlative: he punches way above his weight.Legal 500

Publications

Cases that Changed our Lives - author of chapter on Legal Insanity. Foreword by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls. Butterworths (2010).
Twenty Eight Days - What's the Verdict CLJW (2010), Vol 174, p103
The Criminal Case of Usman Saddique The Guardian.11/02/10
The Special Relationship CBQ March 2007. Issue 1, p6

Associated Work

Bencher at Lincoln's Inn
President of the Society of Asian Lawyers 2013-2016
Vice-chair Equality & Diversity Committee of the Bar Council (member since 2003).
Qualified to undertake direct public access work.
Lead Advocacy Trainer with Lincoln's Inn.
International Advocacy Trainer with the ATC
Pupil supervisor.
Regular broadcaster on TV and Radio on legal and political issues
Winner of the Asian Professional of the Year award (2016) and listed in GG2 Magazine as one of the top 101 most influential Asians in the UK

Professional Memberships

Member of Wadham College Law Society (since 2000).

Pre-Law Experience and Voluntary Work

Chair of School Governing Body (1997-2017).
Elected Councillor in London Borough of Ealing (1994-1998).
Member of Middlesex Area Probation Committee (1995-1998).
Tutor in Economics (P/T) (1989-91).
Senior Programme Researcher at the BBC (F/T) (1989).
Policy and Research Officer with London Borough of Ealing (F/T) (1988).
Caseworker with Southall Monitoring Project (P/T) (1986-1989).
Jury foreman in two trials (1984).

Languages

Punjabi
Hindi (working knowledge)

Education

BA (Hons) PPE - University of Oxford
MSc Politics of the World Economy - L.S.E.
CPE - The College of Law
BVC - Inns of Court School of Law

The Legal 500 - The Clients Guide to Law Firms

Homicide

R v W.R. (2017) – Alleged murder of rival gang member (ongoing).
R v Belkar Singh (2017) – Alleged murder of restaurant owner by his employee (ongoing).
R v O.J. (2017) – Alleged murder of a cannabis producer (ongoing).
R v Sabah Khan (2017) – Love triangle. Sister murdered her own sister following affair with brother in law (pleaded guilty).
R v Shiraz Bashir (2017) – Love triangle. Victim battered by five defendants and thrown to his death down a ravine.
R v Azad Singh (2017) – Husband stabbed wife to death after finding her in their bed with another man.
R v Anthony Goward (2016) – Bare knuckle fighter beat his partner’s lover after catching them in bed at home (acquitted).
R v Zatoon Bibi (2016) – Murder by strangulation of ex-lover. Body dumped in boot of car.
R v Sam Arnold (2016) – Alleged murder of drug dealer (acquitted).
R v AG (2016) – Alleged murder by beating in tube station by 17 year old (negotiated plea to manslaughter).
R v Gibson Mazikana (2015) – Murder by stabbing of wife.
R v Vladlens Ignashko (2015) – Murder by beating following a drinking session.
R v Zaiem Zulqurnain (2015) – Alleged murder by stabbing in Nottingham city centre (acquitted).
R v Zoeb Majid (2015) – Alleged murder and street robbery of a woman (acquitted of murder in cut throat with 13 year old co-defendant who was convicted).
R v Darren Quainoo (2015) – Alleged gang related murder by stabbing (acquitted following half time submissions).
R v Bharat Soma (2014) – Attempted murders of ex fiancée and her new partner by throat slashing.
R v Gino Sawyers (2014) – Gang beating of 53 year old victim following argument in community centre (acquitted following half time submissions on murder and manslaughter).
R v Kristofer Guler (2014) – murder by stabbing in a public street
R v TW (2014) – allegation of attempted murder in series of contract killing hits.
R v RM (2014) – allegation of murder and attempted murder where surviving complainant had his nose chopped off.
R v Mark Hannell (2013) - alleged murder following an attack by a gang (secured discontinuance of murder charge).
R v RW (2013) - 16 year old defendant. Gang related fatal shooting of rival gang leader (acquitted of murder).
R v Pirughan Kunaratnam & ors (2013) - battering to death of victim with a cricket bat in alleged gang related fight in Lewisham. (Acquitted of murder).
R v Hassan Tonbul & ors (2013) – defendant allegedly involved in an ongoing feud between Turkish gangs in North London which resulted in an execution (secured discontinuance of murder charge).
R v VO & ors – 17 year old accused of gang related murder of 16 year old
R v Daniel Rogers – Defendant with Tourette’s Syndrome accused of murdering a taxi driver
R v Robert Jones – Defendant with Asperger’s Syndrome and Schizophrenia stabbed mother in the head
R v Sabra Sultana & ors - "Thumb that fell from the sky" murder
R v Michael Jachimowicz – alleged killing of father and burying of body in the garden. (Acquitted of murder)
R v PP & ors - honour killing of co-defendants mother's lover. (Acquitted of murder).
R v GF – Broadmoor patient accused of double murder, attempted murder and rapes.
R v Sean Edwards - gangland stabbing (acquitted of attempted murder).
R v Mahmuda Khatun – stabbing to death of husband after abusive arranged marriage.
R v Marcel Anderson – punch in fight resulting in death of 60 year old victim. (Acquitted of murder).
R v Gabriel Alecu & ors - gangland beating to death of victim in back of ambulance.
R v Imran Khan – stabbing to death in street gang dispute.
R v Manoj Mistry & ors – kidnapping, strangulation and burning to death of love rival.
R v Myriam Conte – stabbing to death of student by housemate (acquitted of murder).
R v Terry Steadman & ors – beating to death of elderly man in random street assault. (Acquitted of murder).
R v Ranjit Sohal – beating to death of wife with hammer after domestic argument.
R v Kalvinder Dosanjh - soliciting to murder of own daughter as an 'honour killing'.
R v Paul Jones & ors - hit man contract killing (shooting) of a business rival.
R v Christopher Wilkins – attempted murder (stabbing) in a street fight (acquitted).
R v Asburn Morrison- attempted murder (stabbing) at a blues party.
R v Jermaine Pearcy & ors - double attempted murder (shooting) at a nightclub. (Acquitted of murder).
R v Timothy Merchant - double attempted murder (shooting) & conspiracy to pervert justice.
R v Colin Crawley & ors - attempted murder (shooting) of former business partner.
R v Francis Pope & ors - double attempted murder (shooting) at nightclub. (Acquitted of murder).
R v Pauline Drinkwater - manslaughter/aiding & abetting suicide of husband in suicide pact.

Terrorism

R v Mizanur Rahman – Inviting support for ISIS (co-defendant was Anjem Choudary).
R v Runa Khan – Disseminating terrorist publications via Facebook to encourage jihad in Syria. (Pleaded guilty).
R v Usman Saddique & ors – ‘Airline Liquid Bomb’ plot to explode seven airplanes over the Atlantic in August 2006. (Acquitted) VHCC
R v Abdul Jalil & ors - 'Dirty bomb' manufacture alleged to be used for mass terrorist killing. (Pleaded guilty) VHCC
R v Mouloud Bouhrama & ors - Chemical weapons [Ricin] manufacture alleged to be preparation for mass terrorist killing. (Acquitted) VHCC

Drugs

R v Hai Ban Tran & 23 Ors - - Conspiracy to produce cannabis. VHCC (largest ever)
R v Troy Alleyne & ors - Conspiracy to supply crack cocaine valued at over £50 million: dubbed the "bling bling gang".
R v R.W. - Importation of 3 tonnes of cannabis valued at over £10 million.
R v Henry Mumford & ors - Conspiracy to produce largest ever quantity of amphetamine sulphate valued at £6 million.
R v Jason Smith - Conspiracy to supply heroin valued at over £1 million.
R v Desmond Black & ors - Conspiracy to supply heroin and firearms (Operation Trident).

Robbery / Handling

R v Soloman Beyene – Conspiracy to rob Graff jewellers. £40 million worth of jewels stolen.
R v Lynnden Willoughby & or - Conspiracy to steal computer equipment valued at over £25 million.
R v Jagdev Shergill & ors - Conspiracy to handle computer goods valued at over £7 million.
R v Abdul Awada - Conspiracy to handle mobile phones valued at over £1 million.
R v Michael Walker & ors - Armed robbery by gang who murdered victim in course of one robbery.
R v David Samuel & ors - Conspiracy to rob in a string of Securicor van hold ups.

Immigration Offences

R v Giwo Faith Bala-Tonglele - £4 million immigration conspiracy
R v Shravan Lattupally – Lead defendant of seven in a £2 million immigration conspiracy.

Sexual Offences

R v M.Z. - Alleged sexual offences against children (ongoing).
R v John Wilson – Pentecostalist preacher charged with 31 sexual offences against female members of his Church.

Reported Cases

Mahmuda Khatun [2010] EWCA Crim 138 (murder conviction - whether issues of intent & provocation were properly withdrawn.
Abdul Jalil [2009] 2 Cr.App.R (S) 40 CA (appeal against sentence in Trans-Atlantic airline liquid bomb plot).
Michael Walker & ors [2008] EWCA Crim 554 (judge failed to apply correct criteria for imposing imprisonment for public protection – sentence appeal allowed).
Shamim Choudhary [2007] EWCA Crim 2474 (sentence appeal allowed).
Govt. of Romania v Valentin Ceausescu [2006] EWHC 2615 (Admin) (Extradition appeal for Romanian police captain convicted of corruption offences.)
R v Robert Powell [2004] EWCA Crim 1621 - (Section 34 misdirection. Conviction quashed).
R v Michael Lawrence [2002] EWCA Crim 326 - (Sentence)
R v Mehmet Goren [2001] EWCA Crim 307 - (Sentence appeal allowed)
R v Mohamed Abdi [1999] Case No. 9902501Y5 - (Sentence appeal allowed)
Attorney-General’s Reference No.14 of 1998 (Lee McGregor) [1991] 1. Cr.App.R.(S.) 205 CA. (whether life imprisonment should be substituted for a determinate sentence of 11 years in a violent rape)
R v Harvey and Osbourne (1997) 4 Archbold News 7, CA - (prosecution witnesses’ refusal to give evidence out of fear resulting in imprisonment for contempt).
R v Schot and Barclay [1997] 2 Cr.App.R. 383, CA; 161 J.P. 143, CA. - (juror's refusal to return verdict resulting in imprisonment for contempt. Conviction quashed).

R v Ragini Sona – Conspiracy to cheat HMRC
R v Yuganthini Thayaparan – Money laundering conspiracy of more than £100 million. VHCC
R v SM & ors – Conspiracy to cheat HMRC.
R v Joyti De-Laurey & ors - Goldman Sachs secretary who used forgery and deception to obtain over £4 million from bosses.
R v Malcolm Gell & ors - Excise/VAT diversion fraud valued at over £100 million.
R v Malcolm Gell & ors - Excise/VAT diversion fraud valued at over £30 million.
R v N C & ors – Solicitor alleged to be party to defrauding land registry.
R v Sukhdip Sander & ors – Conspiracy to commit ‘long firm’ fraud of £1.2 million.
R v Alpesh Patel & ors - Bank fraud conspiracy valued at over £15 million.
R v Choudry Maroof & ors - Credit card fraud conspiracy valued at over £2 million.
R v Zarina Mahmood & ors - Bank fraud conspiracy valued at over £1.25 million.
R v Dilbagh Singh - Dept. of Health fraud conspiracy valued at over £1.25 million.
R v Anthony Ijomanta & ors - Advance fee fraud conspiracy between Nigeria and UK.
R v Muhamed Iqbal - Second largest ever conspiracy to produce forged passports (x 450) valued at over £1.5 million.
R v Zarina Patel & ors – Largest ever illegal immigration conspiracy (bogus marriages) involving 28 defendants.